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Shortfall in rent

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This discussion was created from comments split from: Can I afford to privately rent?.

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StillIRise

I live in a privately rented flat. I have mental health conditions and I am on LCWRA and PIP.

To get the flat (and previous rented flats) I had to pass credit checks and various other checks and references including references from previous landlords. I also had to come up with one months rent in advance, a "security deposit" of £2000, and of course pay for a removal van to transport all my furniture and other possessions. On top of that, my LHA doesn't cover my rent -- I pay £350 a month extra that I have to come up with out of my PIP.

I've been in my flat coming up three years. Never missed a rent payment, never caused any trouble. But now my landlord is not sure whether they will renew the tenancy or not because they might wish to renovate the flat instead. If I am able to renew the tenancy, I'll be looking at a rent increase of at least 10%. But Local Housing Allowance rates have not been increased since around 2020.

It's very, very tough. I'd love to have a council flat. I've just not managed to get one.

poppy123456

StillIRise said:

On top of that, my LHA doesn't cover my rent -- I pay £350 a month extra that I have to come up with out of my PIP.

Wow that's a massive shortfall in rent. If this is making you're struggle financially then are you aware that you can apply for a discretionary housing payment. (DHP)

You will need to apply through your local Authority. It's not guarateed but worth a try. If awarded it's only for a short period of time before you need to reapply. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

StillIRise

poppy123456 said:

StillIRise said:

On top of that, my LHA doesn't cover my rent -- I pay £350 a month extra that I have to come up with out of my PIP.

Wow that's a massive shortfall in rent. If this is making you're struggle financially then are you aware that you can apply for a discretionary housing payment. (DHP)

You will need to apply through your local Authority. It's not guarateed but worth a try. If awarded it's only for a short period of time before you need to reapply. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Yes it's rough. I've even looked at totally different parts of the country and compared LHA to the average cost of rent of a reasonable flat, and never seen anything where there's not a shortfall of at the very least £200 a month. It's DISGUSTING that they just never raise LHA rates despite the fact rents have soared by easily 25% since 2020.

I've actually not even bothered applying for a discretionary housing payment as I'd assumed they barely give them out. But I guess it can't hurt to try. What I might do is wait until I get the renewal terms for my flat and apply for the DHP on the grounds that I've got a rent increase and unless I pay it would end up potentially homeless.

poppy123456

StillIRise said:

poppy123456 said:

StillIRise said:

On top of that, my LHA doesn't cover my rent -- I pay £350 a month extra that I have to come up with out of my PIP.

Wow that's a massive shortfall in rent. If this is making you're struggle financially then are you aware that you can apply for a discretionary housing payment. (DHP)

You will need to apply through your local Authority. It's not guarateed but worth a try. If awarded it's only for a short period of time before you need to reapply. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Yes it's rough. I've even looked at totally different parts of the country and compared LHA to the average cost of rent of a reasonable flat, and never seen anything where there's not a shortfall of at the very least £200 a month. It's DISGUSTING that they just never raise LHA rates despite the fact rents have soared by easily 25% since 2020.

I've actually not even bothered applying for a discretionary housing payment as I'd assumed they barely give them out. But I guess it can't hurt to try. What I might do is wait until I get the renewal terms for my flat and apply for the DHP on the grounds that I've got a rent increase and unless I pay it would end up potentially homeless.

I live in a privately rented 2 bed house and my shortfall is £35/month. That's because of an increase from April. Before that it was £10/month.

If this causes financial hardship then i wouldn't wait to apply, i would do it ASAP. You may also want to get some help with the form because it's quite complex.

StillIRise

poppy123456 said:

StillIRise said:

poppy123456 said:

StillIRise said:

On top of that, my LHA doesn't cover my rent -- I pay £350 a month extra that I have to come up with out of my PIP.

Wow that's a massive shortfall in rent. If this is making you're struggle financially then are you aware that you can apply for a discretionary housing payment. (DHP)

You will need to apply through your local Authority. It's not guarateed but worth a try. If awarded it's only for a short period of time before you need to reapply. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Yes it's rough. I've even looked at totally different parts of the country and compared LHA to the average cost of rent of a reasonable flat, and never seen anything where there's not a shortfall of at the very least £200 a month. It's DISGUSTING that they just never raise LHA rates despite the fact rents have soared by easily 25% since 2020.

I've actually not even bothered applying for a discretionary housing payment as I'd assumed they barely give them out. But I guess it can't hurt to try. What I might do is wait until I get the renewal terms for my flat and apply for the DHP on the grounds that I've got a rent increase and unless I pay it would end up potentially homeless.

I live in a privately rented 2 bed house and my shortfall is £35/month. That's because of an increase from April. Before that it was £10/month.

If this causes financial hardship then i wouldn't wait to apply, i would do it ASAP. You may also want to get some help with the form because it's quite complex.

Wow, I've never heard of LHA so closely matching rent. Especially not here in London and the South-East. May I ask which part of the country you are in?

I may look into DHP. I've just always assumed it would be over-subscribed and all their funds would already have been allocated as so many people are in my situation re the shortfall.

poppy123456

I'm very reluctant to reveal my location, i'm sorry. I'm not near London though. With a DHP you shouldn't assume anything. I applied for one some years ago and didn't think i would get it but i did.

Lou67

@StillIRise
Good morning I hope your well, I can’t believe the massive amount you are having to pay towards your rent, it’s a massive amount to put yourself.
The flat I was previously in was privately rented there was also a shortfall, I applied for DHP quite a few times and always got it.
I wish you luck and hope you can get the help to.

Adrian_Scope

It's very similar in my area @StillIRise. There's around £300 shortfall on the most affordable of properties (which are scarce in supply and snapped up quickly). Typically they can be around £500 higher than the LHA.

Do look into applying for a DHP, especially if they increase your rent even further. Please let us know how you get on.

StillIRise

Lou67 said:

@StillIRise
Good morning I hope your well, I can’t believe the massive amount you are having to pay towards your rent, it’s a massive amount to put yourself.
The flat I was previously in was privately rented there was also a shortfall, I applied for DHP quite a few times and always got it.
I wish you luck and hope you can get the help to.

Thanks. It's well worth me applying then. I noticed it mentions that DHP is mainly to cover a temporary situation, such as you need to cover your rent shortfall while you make plans to move somewhere cheaper. I am not quite sure what I'd put on the application given that I am not seeking to move.

StillIRise

Adrian_Scope said:

It's very similar in my area @StillIRise. There's around £300 shortfall on the most affordable of properties (which are scarce in supply and snapped up quickly). Typically they can be around £500 higher than the LHA.

Do look into applying for a DHP, especially if they increase your rent even further. Please let us know how you get on.

Hi Adrian, yes those are the exact sort of figures you see in my area. The £350 shortfall I am dealing with is not even seen as super extreme in many areas.

I am looking into applying for DHP and will see how it goes.

OverlyAnxious

Just want to check if you're calculating the shortfall correctly? LHA is calculated in weeks, but rent is usually paid per calendar month. So you have to multiply the LHA allowance by 52, then divide it by 12 to find the monthly total.

I had a shortfall of around £100 a month for a studio flat for years. Couldn't share due to my conditions but wasn't allowed one-bed rate due to age. When I eventually qualified for PIP, I got one-bed rate and the LHA did cover my full rent for the first time. But since then the rent has gone up so now there's a slight shortfall again.

It does seem odd that they haven't updated LHA recently. I definitely don't envy anyone having to pay London prices.

poppy123456

StillIRise said:

Lou67 said:

@StillIRise
Good morning I hope your well, I can’t believe the massive amount you are having to pay towards your rent, it’s a massive amount to put yourself.
The flat I was previously in was privately rented there was also a shortfall, I applied for DHP quite a few times and always got it.
I wish you luck and hope you can get the help to.

Thanks. It's well worth me applying then. I noticed it mentions that DHP is mainly to cover a temporary situation, such as you need to cover your rent shortfall while you make plans to move somewhere cheaper. I am not quite sure what I'd put on the application given that I am not seeking to move.

They are only ever for a short period of time before you need to reapply.

One of the reasons why I advised getting some help with the forms because they are so complex.

Someone with experience in filling them out will know exactly what to put. You will also need to give details of all your income and expenses, including bills, shopping etc etc.

Lou67

Hi I think it’s definitely worth applying, I might be wrong but when I used to get it I’m sure it was for 3 months then you had to reapply.

As Poppy said it could be better if you got help to fill it in.
I didn’t actually get help but after the first time filling it out I kept a copy so it was a bit easier the next time.

StillIRise

OverlyAnxious said:

Just want to check if you're calculating the shortfall correctly? LHA is calculated in weeks, but rent is usually paid per calendar month. So you have to multiply the LHA allowance by 52, then divide it by 12 to find the monthly total.

I had a shortfall of around £100 a month for a studio flat for years. Couldn't share due to my conditions but wasn't allowed one-bed rate due to age. When I eventually qualified for PIP, I got one-bed rate and the LHA did cover my full rent for the first time. But since then the rent has gone up so now there's a slight shortfall again.

It does seem odd that they haven't updated LHA recently. I definitely don't envy anyone having to pay London prices.

This comes across as a little patronising, although I'm sure unintentionally so. I am indeed able to do basic maths.

StillIRise

poppy123456 said:

StillIRise said:

Lou67 said:

@StillIRise
Good morning I hope your well, I can’t believe the massive amount you are having to pay towards your rent, it’s a massive amount to put yourself.
The flat I was previously in was privately rented there was also a shortfall, I applied for DHP quite a few times and always got it.
I wish you luck and hope you can get the help to.

Thanks. It's well worth me applying then. I noticed it mentions that DHP is mainly to cover a temporary situation, such as you need to cover your rent shortfall while you make plans to move somewhere cheaper. I am not quite sure what I'd put on the application given that I am not seeking to move.

They are only ever for a short period of time before you need to reapply.

One of the reasons why I advised getting some help with the forms because they are so complex.

Someone with experience in filling them out will know exactly what to put. You will also need to give details of all your income and expenses, including bills, shopping etc etc.

Yes I might as well apply. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

poppy123456

StillIRise said:

OverlyAnxious said:

Just want to check if you're calculating the shortfall correctly? LHA is calculated in weeks, but rent is usually paid per calendar month. So you have to multiply the LHA allowance by 52, then divide it by 12 to find the monthly total.

I had a shortfall of around £100 a month for a studio flat for years. Couldn't share due to my conditions but wasn't allowed one-bed rate due to age. When I eventually qualified for PIP, I got one-bed rate and the LHA did cover my full rent for the first time. But since then the rent has gone up so now there's a slight shortfall again.

It does seem odd that they haven't updated LHA recently. I definitely don't envy anyone having to pay London prices.

This comes across as a little patronising, although I'm sure unintentionally so. I am indeed able to do basic maths.

I don't think overlyAnxious meant it to be that way at all, at least i don't see it that way. It's often very difficult to read tone through a text because there is no tone. I've always found to them to be a very helpful and pleasant person.

OverlyAnxious

StillIRise said:
This comes across as a little patronising, although I'm sure unintentionally so. I am indeed able to do basic maths.

My apologies. It wasn't meant that way. I've seen people using the 4-weekly payment figure instead of the monthly figure before, which makes it appear like a bigger shortfall than in reality.